“Things aren’t looking too good for today, so we’ll see. Things aren’t too hectic during the week so we’ll see later on.”
This is what Ronan Lynch, owner of The Swan Bar, told me about his plans for opening as I spoke to him over the phone on Thursday morning. Looking out the window as he was speaking, I could see quite a lot of cloud hanging over Dublin and a quick look at the weather app told me that Friday might not be much better. Still, at least Ronan has more of a choice today than, say, last Sunday when incessant rain made his decision to remain closed for him.
That’s the reality for Dublin pubs under level 3, where a day’s takings can be dependent on whether or not the heavens open. “We have no heaters, we would need planning for that,” Ronan explains. “We have umbrellas and we thought about getting more but we’re obviously concerned about the investment.”
Today is a day for the ducks. We are taking the day off on account of the adverse weather conditions. pic.twitter.com/ofiTyZXC4F
— The Swan Bar (@theswanbar1661) October 4, 2020
Ronan, who is also chairman of the Licensed Vintners Association (LVA), said that “our business at the moment is weather-dependent so there’s a lot of uncertainty. It’s been a difficult seven months, we only reopened three or four weeks ago at 50% capacity and already we’re being told we have to serve outside.”
“The medical evidence for this is thin on the ground,” he continues. “Pubs are controlled spaces and we feel there’s been no plan and we’ve been treated unfairly.”
Like many other venues of its kind, The Swan has taken a hit from a business point of view but Ronan’s sympathies lie very much with his customers. “People think pubs are full of people falling around jarred but there’s so much more to it than that. It’s the social element. There might be bachelors or people who live alone who have nowhere else to go.”
“We give updates on Twitter, like on Sunday when we decided not to open, but a lot of these people aren’t on Twitter. They have to ring up every day or turn up at the door to find out what’s going on.”
Ronan says that one of his priorities is keeping people in jobs but he’s had to let 50% of his staff go. With Budget 2021 set to be unveiled on Tuesday, October 13, he has called for more support for the industry including wage subsidies and VAT excises.
As for this evening, the sun has emerged from the clouds at the time of writing so things are looking positive for The Swan. Until tomorrow, that is, and whatever weather comes with it.
(header pic: @the_swan_bar on Instagram)
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